Shamane’s make sha-magic in your sha-mouth

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Boulder’s baked goods mainstay, Shamane’s Bake Shop, will celebrate its 10th anniversary this year.

 

It’s easy to understand why it has lasted.

Throughout my visit — though the space is small — both the lobby and dining room were full to overflowing. There were families ordering lunch to go, and couples ordering lunch to eat there. There were people placing their holiday pie orders at the counter. There was even a gal patiently waiting her turn to order, holding an empty, large white bowl, which was subsequently filled with Shamane’s chili.

I wanted to sample a variety of things, and first ordered the Black Bean Quinoa Burger, made with sweet potato and topped with avocado, tomato, lettuce and chipotle aioli. The menu says it comes on an onion brioche, but my bun was straight brioche, which was just fine with me, grilled like a panini. On any of the menu’s six sandwiches — and a rotating daily special sandwich each day — you can add an egg for $1 more, which I did. It was flavorful. The sweet potato and egg helped. The sandwich was also so generously sized I had to take half home.

Shamane’s alternates the available sides weekly among pasta salad, potato salad and quinoa, and they come in small for $4.50 or medium for just 50 cents more. I got a small potato salad, which had large, tender chunks of potato, soft slices of egg white and herbs, in a mustard-mayonnaise sauce. They offer two salads — a weekly spinach salad special, and a mixed green cobb — for $7.50 each. There’s both a green chile and a chorizo burrito available, for $4.95 each, and a number of savory pot pies and galettes — from chicken and roast beef pot pies to beef pasties and seasonal galettes. All are $7.

One thing about Shamane’s is you have to act quickly. I had eyed the galettes when I walked in, but wanted to think about them. When just 10 minutes later I decided I wanted one, and went back to the counter to order, the two that were in the case had already been snatched up. Instead, I ordered a chicken pot pie, which came enclosed in a crust I’ve never quite seen the likes of before: perfectly browned, flaky and tender. When I shared a few bites with my husband — who considers himself a pot pie connoisseur — he said it was the best one he’s ever had.

There’s always a soup and quiche of the day — the soup you can even buy by the quart to go. And these are just the savory options.

Though the shop’s tagline is “making your sweet dreams come true,” they are clearly making a run at satisfying savory dreams as well.

There’s a whole panel on their menu of their sweet selections — which is what Shamane’s is known for. Everything from chocolate croissants and pound cakes to fourto six-inch pies [$6/$20]. Five types of cookies, including ones you don’t see often — like raspberry linzer and gingersnap — as well as brownies and cupcakes, are also available.

They do specialty cakes for all occasions and have a wall of sample books you can look through for inspiration and ideas. I sampled a handful of their sweets — a cheesecake square, a chocolate-chocolate cupcake with the best chocolate frosting I’ve ever tasted, chocolate walnut biscotti and mini flourless chocolate cake – and each one was better than the last; that says a lot when the first one was delicious.

While Shamane’s location, tucked into a nondescript strip just south of Valmont and west of Foothills Parkway makes it a destination spot for most, it is worth your while.

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